Saving Tribal Heritage By Planting Roots.
Out came the invasive ravenna grass weeds that had grown over the years, posing a wildfire risk as they squeeze out native plants central to the culture, religion, and history of Jackson’s Native American forebears.
It was natural that Jackson was attracted to biology college courses.
So, Jackson thought it kismet when her mother heard about a position in UNLV ecologist Scott Abella’s lab seeking students to incorporate culturally important plants into their research.
Despite having no restoration ecology experience, Jackson was drawn to the Native American aspect of the project as well as the university’s proximity to her hometown.
"We were delighted to see Ka-Voka’s application to the UNLV graduate program because she is from a local tribe and it is a special opportunity for her to work on her tribe’s ancestral lands," Abella said.
"The Glen Canyon and Grand Canyon area is a special place and as a protected national park unit and one of America’s most special places, we want the area to be in a reasonably natural state.
Our goal is to begin restoring at least patches of native plants, including culturally important native plants, to identify techniques that are ecologically and cost-effective for restoring native ecosystems across larger areas.
For the Glen Canyon restoration project, she recruited three UNLV undergraduates to drive nearly five hours to Page, Arizona — then take a four-hour boat ride — to camp in a remote desert site for five days of planting over Spring Break.
For example, in a low-water area, you can sub out one native plant for another.